Medical services kiosk

ABSTRACT

A medical services kiosk supporting private and secure telemedicine sessions between a patient and a remote network terminal utilized by a remote health care professional. The medical services kiosk comprising at least one privacy chamber having at least one door and at least one window. Each privacy chamber may include a user interactive display terminal that includes a display device, an input device, and a centralized processor, wherein the centralized processor is electronically communicable with the remote network terminal and a cloud based system. Each patient station may each include at least one documentation receiving device, at least one biometric device for obtaining biometric health measurements of the patient utilizing the at least one patient station, an arm mechanism, a seating mechanism, a camera, a retractable diagnostic camera device, a lighting mechanism that lights the privacy chamber, and a purification system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. nonprovisional patent application is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No.16/275,741, filed on Feb. 14, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S.nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 13/777,864, filed on Feb. 26,2013, which, in-turn, claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 61/606,095, filed on Mar. 2, 2012, all-of-which areincorporated-by-reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a medical kiosk, and moreparticularly, to a medical kiosk or booth that includes a plurality ofmedical equipment that allows a patient to perform basic physicalexaminations during a medical session through the help and guidance of aphysician who is remotely connected supervising the medical session.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Medical care is a need for every individual and every family. Manyindividuals have one or more physicians or other medical professionalsthat they see for wellness visits and for treatment of various illnessesand injuries. However, as the population continues to grow andhealthcare continues to evolve, the need for doctors and health careproviders continues to grow as well. As a result of this growth, medicalfacilities such as hospitals and doctors' offices are operating atmaximum physical capacity. Since the population continues to grow andthe need for doctors and health care providers is not expected to abatein the near or immediate future, there is a need for an alternative moreefficient manner to see patients rather than physically seeing themon-site.

Medical facilities in general have been attempting to improve efficiencythrough utilizing technology. In particular, some aspects of patientcare have been computerized through the use of electronic terminalsinteractively accessible to the patients. Currently, processes such aschecking in and prescription refill requests may be handled entirely bydigital mediums. These digital mediums may be in the form of specializedhardware and software for collecting, organizing, and updatinginformation associated with patients.

Hospitals and medical clinics recently began utilizing interactivedevices that allow patients to perform routine activities. The abilityfor patients to perform operations such as update personal informationlinked to their health profile, pay medical fees, and other variousroutine activities via these interactive devices has generated asignificant increase in efficiency for medical facilities. However,patients are still required to be physically on-site in order formedical professionals to perform routine medical activities that arenecessary to treat a patient such as measuring vital signs.

There have also been limitations regarding doctor and medicalprofessional availability in the case when an individual requiresimmediate attention. For example, if an individual were to decide tovisit a doctor or medical professional's office for a non-emergency theday of, then that individual would be classified as a “walk-in” if he orshe did not have an appointment and would be subjected to a wait timeassociated with the current workload of the medical facility. Theindividual's only alternative would be to go the emergency room of ahospital for a non-emergency matter.

Recently, there have been developments in implementations of varioussystems and methods relating to telehealth and telemedicine. However,these systems and methods require a substantial amount of improvement inorder for them to be nearly as efficient as the conventional practice ofmedicine.

Thus, there is a need for a medical services system that allows doctorsand other medical professionals to examine, diagnose, and treat patientswithout requiring the patients to be physically present with the medicalprofessional.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could bepursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previouslyconceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it shouldnot be assumed that any of the approaches described in this sectionqualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in thissection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a medical services kiosk that iscapable of generating a plurality of interactions between a user orpatient and one or more medical professionals via a network comprising aplurality of client devices. The medical services kiosk furthercomprises a patient station that satisfies the need for providingfacilities for remote interaction with health care professionals in realtime. The medical services kiosk is configured to support examination,diagnosis, and treatment of a patient via establishing atele-communicative connection between the patient and remote medicalprofessionals via the network.

Introducing a first embodiment of the invention a medical serviceskiosk, comprising:

a unit defining an interior space having a closed top, a closed bottom,a pair of opposite right and left sides, a front end, and a back end;

at least one patient station provided inside of the interior space ofthe unit, the at least one patient station comprising:

-   -   a privacy chamber having at least one door, wherein the privacy        chamber is provided for receiving a patient therein and        permitting the patient to communicate over a network with a        remote health care professional;    -   an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is        electronically communicable over the network with a remotely        located network terminal accessible by the remote health care        professional;    -   at least one documentation receiving device;    -   at least one biometric device for obtaining biometric health        measurements of the patient utilizing the at least one patient        station;    -   a camera configured to transmit a real-time image of the patient        to said remotely located network terminal accessible by the        remote health care professional over the network;    -   a retractable diagnostic camera;    -   a lighting mechanism that lights said privacy chamber; and    -   a purification system,        -   wherein the at least one documentation receiving device, the            at least one biometric device, the camera, and the            retractable diagnostic camera are communicable with the            electronic device.

In another aspect, the at least one patient station may further comprisea privacy system that includes an electronic lock coupled to the atleast one door, and a privacy feature applicable to a glass windowprovided by the at least one door.

In yet another aspect, the privacy system may be communicative with theat least one documentation receiving device and said user interactivedisplay terminal, wherein said privacy system is configured to activatewhen the patient initiates a session with the health care professional.

In another aspect, the at least one documentation device may include acard reader. The card reader may be capable of accepting at least one ofthe group of credit cards, gift cards, and insurance cards, for paymentto initiate a session.

In another aspect, the display of the electronic device may be able todisplay a real-time image of the health care professional communicatingwith the patient when the session has started.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may further comprise an armmechanism, the arm mechanism comprising: an arm rest, a support arm, anda wall mount. The arm rest and the support arm are hingeably attachableto the wall mount. The wall mount may be affixable to a wall surfaceprovided by the privacy chamber. The arm rest may be configured to pivotabout said hingeable attachment and movable between an upward positionand a downward position.

In another aspect, the retractable diagnostic camera device, thelighting mechanism, and the sanitation system may be disposed about afalse ceiling provided by the privacy chamber.

In yet another aspect, the retractable diagnostic camera device maycomprise, a specialized camera head, an extendible cord attached to saidspecialized camera head, and a self-recoiling mechanism.

In another aspect, the retractable diagnostic camera device may becommunicative with the electronic device that is electronicallycommunicable with the remote network terminal accessed by the healthcare professional to provide the health care professional with real-timeimages and measurement readings of the patient.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may include a sanitationsystem that includes an ultra violet light device that is configured toactivate when the privacy chamber is vacant for long periods of time,and when the patient has terminated the medical session with thehealthcare professional and has left the privacy chamber.

In another aspect, the sanitation system may include an ultrasoundsterilization emitting device.

In another aspect, the patient station may further comprise a medicationinventory storage space having a medical dispenser. The medicaldispenser may be communicative with the remote network terminalaccessible by the health care professional, and controllable by thehealth care professional, such that the health care professional canselectively dispense a medication to the patient during an activesession.

In another aspect, the patient station may further comprise a weightscale mechanism. The scale mechanism may be integrated to the flooringof the privacy chamber, and suitable and calibrated for obtaining anaccurate reading of the patient's weight.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may further comprise aseating mechanism, the seating mechanism comprising: a seat rest, a seatsupport, and a wall mount.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may further comprise aback-up generator that energizes the station in the event of a powerloss.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may further comprise at leastone uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery supply that energizes thestation in the event of a power loss.

In yet another aspect, the patient station may include antimicrobialsurfaces.

Introducing a second embodiment of the invention of a medical serviceskiosk, comprising:

a unit defining an interior space having a closed top, a closed bottom,a pair of opposite right and left sides, a front end, and a back end;

at least two patient stations provided inside of said interior spaceadjacent one another and separated by at least one noise attenuationprivacy wall, each of the patient stations, comprising:

-   -   a privacy chamber having at least one door and at least one        window each having at least one panel comprising a transparency        shifting mechanism and at least one locking mechanism, the        transparency shifting mechanism and locking mechanism controlled        by a privacy system that activates once a patient is received        within the privacy chamber and commences a session with a remote        network terminal utilized by a health care professional over a        network connection;    -   an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is        electronically communicable with the remote network terminal;    -   an electronic card reading device;    -   at least one biometric device for obtaining biometric health        measurements of the patient;    -   a camera, said camera of each the at least two patient stations        configured to transmit a real-time image of the patient to the        remotely located network terminal accessible by the health care        professional over the network during the session;    -   a retractable diagnostic camera device, comprising;        -   a specialized camera head;        -   an extendible chord attached to said specialized camera            head; and        -   a self-recoiling mechanism adapted to receiving said            extendable chord;            -   wherein the patient is able to grab and pull on said                specialized camera head to perform a plurality of task                as directed by the healthcare professional during said                session, and            -   wherein the diagnostic camera device is capable of                communicating with the electronic device that is                electronically communicative with the remote network                terminal to provide said health care professional with                real-time images and medical readings of the patient;    -   an arm mechanism selectively usable by the patient for arm        stability when using the at least one biometric device;    -   a seating mechanism selectively useable when the patient        communicates with the health care professional;    -   a sanitation device; and    -   a lighting mechanism that lights said privacy chamber.

Introducing a third embodiment of the invention of a medical serviceskiosk, comprising:

a unit defining an interior space having a closed top, a closed bottom,a pair of opposite right and left sides, a front end, and a back end;

at least two patient stations provided inside of said interior spaceadjacent one another and separated by at least one noise attenuationprivacy wall, each of said patient station, comprising:

-   -   a privacy chamber having at least one door and at least one        window each having at least one panel comprising a transparency        shifting mechanism and at least one locking mechanism, the        transparency shifting mechanism and locking mechanism controlled        by a privacy system that activates once a patient is received        within the privacy chamber and commences a session with a remote        network terminal utilized by a health care professional over a        network connection;    -   an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is        electronically communicative with a remote network terminal        utilized by the remote health care professional, and wherein the        display displays a real-time image of said health care        professional communicating with the patient when the session is        initiated;    -   an electronic card reading device;    -   at least one biometric device for obtaining biometric health        measurements of the patient;    -   a retractable diagnostic camera device, comprising;        -   a specialized camera head;        -   an extendible chord attached to the specialized camera head;            and        -   a self-recoiling mechanism adapted to receiving the            extendable cord; and            -   wherein the diagnostic camera device is capable of                communicating with the processor of the interactive user                display that is electronically communicative with the                remote network terminal to provide the health care                professional with real-time images and medical readings                of the patient;    -   an arm mechanism selectively usable by the patient for arm        stability when using the at least one biometric device;    -   a seating mechanism selectively usable when the patient        communicates with the health care professional over the user        interactive display terminal;    -   a lighting mechanism that lights the privacy chamber;    -   a weight scale mechanism, wherein the weight scale mechanism is        integrated to a flooring of the privacy chamber of each of the        patient station, the weight scale mechanism suitable and        calibrated for obtaining an accurate reading of the patient's        weight;    -   a camera, the camera of each of said at least two patient        stations configured to transmit a real-time image of the patient        to said remotely located network terminal accessible by the        health care professional over the network during the session;        and    -   an ultra violet light device that is configured to activate when        the privacy chamber of each of the patient station's is vacant        for long periods of time, and when the patient has terminated        said session with said healthcare professional and left said        privacy chamber.

As described herein, medical professional may include but is not limitedto any doctor, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, nurse, nursing assistant,or any other individual who examines and treats or assists in theexamination and treatment of patients for medical purposes.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawingsand the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedin conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and notto limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements,and in which:

FIG. 1 presents a schematic view of a medical service kioskcommunicatively coupled to a medical facility located remotely thereof,both the medical service kiosk and medical facility communicativelycoupled to a cloud based server via a network.

FIG. 2 presents a bottom isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of amedical service kiosk;

FIG. 3 presents a top isometric view of the medical service kioskoriginally shown in FIG. 2, wherein the window and door panels includean automatic glass shading element that provide privacy to a patientwhen using the medical service kiosk;

FIG. 4 presents a top isometric view of the medical service kioskoriginally shown in FIG. 2, with the automatic glass shading elementturned off and showing the interior of the patient station;

FIG. 5 presents a cut-out view of the medical service kiosk shown inFIG. 2, illustrating a few of the medical equipment that the medicalservice kiosk is equipped with;

FIG. 6 presents another cut-out view of the medical service kiosk,showing a patient walking in to the patient station;

FIG. 7 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the medicalservice kiosk shown in FIG. 2, with the patient communicating with aphysician before starting a physical examination;

FIG. 8 presents a presents a cut-out view of the medical service kioskshown in FIG. 2, illustrating a patient standing on top of a scalemechanism that's incorporated into the flooring system;

FIG. 9 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the medicalservice kiosk shown in FIG. 2, illustrating the use of the medicalcamera device included in each patient station;

FIG. 10 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the medicalservice kiosk shown in FIG. 2, illustrating the patient sitting downtalking with a physician on the interactive panel;

FIG. 11 presents one exemplary embodiment of how a physician wouldappear on the interactive panel included in the patient station; and

FIG. 12 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the medicalservice kiosk shown in FIG. 2, showing a cleaning mechanism being usedto sanitize the room once the patient has left the patient station.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however,that the present invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or“illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.”Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” isnot necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over otherimplementations. All of the implementations described below areexemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the artto make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended tolimit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. Forpurposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”,“rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivativesthereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background,brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to beunderstood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in theattached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in theappended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physicalcharacteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not tobe considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Initially referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a schematic view of aremote real time medical assistance system, showing a medical servicekiosk 100, and a medical facility 202 in bidirectional communication andhosted on a cloud services system 300 over an accessible communicationnetwork 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.It is appreciated that any number of medical service kiosks 100 andmedical facilities 202, which can include one or more terminals,computers or servers, can access and use the cloud services system 300.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the medical service kiosk 100 and medicalfacility 202 communicates with the cloud services system 300 via awired, wireless, or internet connection network 200. The medical servicekiosk 100 gives access to at least one patient to a secure medicalsession with a physician or healthcare professional that is located atthe remote medical facility 202, or on a remote electronic device 204 ata remote location, such as their office, home, or an alternative remotelocation over the network terminal 200. Patient access to the medicalsession with a physician at a medical facility 202 hosted by the cloudservices system 300, is accomplished by use of an electronic deviceincluding any of, but not limited to, a tablet, laptop or notebookcomputer, or a desktop computer. It is appreciated that each medicalsession may be recorded and stored in memory or a database 308 providedby the cloud services system 300 for later viewing. In application, eachelectronic device includes the necessary electronic components requiredto communicate with the medical facility 202, and cloud services system300. As such, each patient electronic device may include audio and videocircuitry, a keyboard or touchpad, memory or access to memory, one ormore processors, I/O network interface, application program interface,read/write memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and a visual screen ordisplay for navigating through a medical session hosted on the cloudservices system 300.

Each electronic device utilized to connect to the cloud services system300, hosting the medical session, electrically communicates via a wired(land line), wireless, or internet network including VOIP (voice overinternet protocol) network. The communication network 200 may includewireless communication including but not limited to: WLAN (wirelesslocal area network, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), WPANS (wireless personal areanetworks, such as Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15), Infrared, ZigBee), WMAN(wireless metropolitan area network, such as WiMax (IEEE 802.16)), WWAN(wireless wide area networks, internet), and GAN (global area network),a mobile wireless communication system, such as 3G, 4G, or 5G, aninternet-protocol based communication system. The communication network200 may include a wired communication including but not limited to,fiber optic systems, a telephone network such as a PSTN (public standardtelephone network). The communication network 200 may further include aradio frequency network (RF), a cable network, a satellite network, andan internet or intranet network, where each network is adapted fortransmitting, and receiving data, information, audio, video, texts,messages, emails, and files between the medical kiosk electronic devicesand the medical facility 202, and cloud services system 300. It will benoted that network, interface, communication and information exchangeequipment, components or peripherals may be employed, including, but notlimited to, use of base stations, servers, routers, switches, repeaters,towers, antennas, Ethernet hubs, wired or wireless data pathways,modems, virtual private networks (VPN), modems, proxy servers,application program interfaces (APIs), networking adapters, or gateways.Encryption protocols may also be employed to secure the transmittedinformation, data, or messages. For example, a few exemplary forms ofencryption include IPsec, or secure sockets layer (SSL), and symmetricor asymmetric encryption.

The cloud service system 300 comprises an internet based computingservice system including in one embodiment, a userregistration/authentication server 302, a web platform server 304, andan administrative server 306, all networked together by way of a centraldatabase 308, and computing system 310. The cloud service system 300 mayinclude a public, private, or hybrid cloud configuration based onvarious cloud service models including any of an Iaas (Infrastructure asa Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or Saas (Software as aService) model. The type of cloud configuration implemented is based onneed for data security, control over the infrastructure, sensitivity ofdata and applications, and industry regulations or standards. In apreferred embodiment, the cloud computing services 300 comprises theAmazon Web Services (AWS) elastic compute cloud EC2 architecture thatsupports simple email service (SES), and simple notification service(SNS) to allow both email and short message service (SMS) communicationbetween patients/medical care providers, and the AWS cloud computingservices 300, via, electronic devices over network 200. The AWS cloudcomputing services 300 also supports simple storage service (a singleweb-services interface) to store and retrieve data from anywhere on theweb.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, after establishing a secureconnection with a health care professional over the communicationnetwork 200, which will be described further herein below, the patientwill be able to communicate with the healthcare professional (e.g.,clinician, physician, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, nurse, nursingassistant, etc.) and provide the healthcare professional with medicalinformation through the use of equipment that is provided inside of thepatient station 102 and is connected to the electronic device inside ofthe medical service kiosk 100. The health care professional or physicianwill be able to guide and instruct the patient on how to use theequipment provided therein. The equipment inside of the patient stationis communicable with the central processor of the electronic deviceinside of the patient station, and can transfer readable data to thecloud services system 300, and the network terminal accessible 208 orelectronic device 204 being used by the physician overseeing the medicalsession. The physician may review the information (i.e., readable data)that is being transmitted in real-time, and render a medical opinion.The health care professional will also be able to provide medicine thatcan be dispensed by the medical kiosk medical storage space provided bythe medical services kiosk 100, or, alternatively, remotely print aprescription or send a prescription notification to a nearby pharmacyfor pick-up. In one exemplary form, the medical services kiosk 100 maybe connected to a back-up generator or to at least one uninterruptiblepower supply (UPS) battery that is powerful enough to energize themedical services kiosk, and particularly the equipment inside of eachrespective patient station in the event of an unexpected power loss.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the medical services kiosk 100 isillustrated in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. The medical services kiosk 100 includes a closed top 104, aclosed bottom 106, and opposite left 108 and right 110 sides. In thisparticular example, as mentioned heretofore, the medical kiosk 100includes two patient stations 102, a leftmost patient station 112 and arightmost patient station 114. It should be readily understood, however,that each medical services kiosk 100 may include at least one or morepatient stations 102. Each medical services kiosk 100 may also include amedical inventory storage vault or space 116. The medical inventorystorage space 116 may generally comprise a medical dispenser containinga plurality of medications securely locked therein and/or includemedical equipment (e.g., over-the-counter blood pressure equipment,pregnancy tests, blood sugar monitors, etc.) that may be distributed toa patient upon a set of instructions and commands provided over thenetwork by the medical professional (i.e., a physician) that isadministering the exam remotely. The storage space 116 may be configuredto include a security check device 118 that scans barcodes, RFID,prescriptions, and/or the like, before administering or giving access tothe medication and equipment stored therein.

As specifically shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the leftmost patient station 112and rightmost patient station 114 each include an entrance door 120 anda side window panel 122 that may include a privacy feature governed by aprivacy system. For instance, in one exemplary form, entrance door 120and side window panel 122 may each be configured to include a privacyglass 124, 126 that includes polymer dispersed liquid crystals whoselight scattering power is adjustable through the application of anelectrical field. In their natural (i.e., uncharged) state, the liquidcrystal molecules are randomly scattered providing an opaque conditionthat prevents anyone from peering through the glass 124, 126, giving thepatient complete privacy (FIG. 3). When a current is applied (i.e.,charged state), however, the molecules align to provide a see throughcondition, as shown in FIG. 4. It is also appreciated that the patientkiosk includes a display device projectable on the privacy glass of theentrance door that notifies other patient's outside of the interiorchamber that the patient station is in use.

Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, as previously mentioned the medical servicekiosk 100 may include more than one patient station 102. Although eachpatient station 102 may be provided to include certain medical equipmentthat another station may omit, a vast majority of patient stations 102are contemplated to be made of a similar shape, size, and be equallyequipped to provide a sense of familiarity to the visiting patientregardless of the location of the medical service kiosk being visited.Therefore, the following is a continued description of one exemplarypatient station 102.

As is best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the patient station 102 generallyincludes an interior chamber 128 comprising a plurality of walls 131that are sound proof. The patient station 102 may also include theaforementioned doorway or entrance door 120, which may include anautomatic locking mechanism 130. The locking mechanism 130 iscontemplated to be part of the privacy system that includes theaforementioned privacy feature on the glass 124, 126 of the entrancedoor 120 and window panel 122, which can be selectively switched from asee-through condition to an opaque condition and vice versa. It isappreciated that the privacy system be controlled by a powerdistribution unit (PDU) or control box 134, which may be located in thestorage vault 116. The control box 134 in one exemplary embodiment iscommunicable with the electronic network 200, medical facility 202 andcloud service system 300 and hosts an executable set of instructions orcommands. The control box 134, which is isolated from the patientstation's electronic device centralized processor, may be connected to anetwork switch and may receive control commands that the station'scentralized processor doesn't. Some control commands may be sent (i.e.,executed) by the physician overseeing the medical session, or programmedto run automatically by pre-set programmed protocols. In one exemplaryembodiment, control box 134 may be configured to automatically activatethe privacy system after a patient 132 has initiated their session. Forinstance, after a patient 132 has walked into the interior chamber 128of the patient station 102 and has successfully initiated their medicalsession as will be described herein below, the privacy system activatesprompting the automatic locking mechanism 130 to engage and secureentrance door 120 to prevent entry into the patient station 102. At thesame time, the privacy system activates the privacy feature on theentrance door's glass 124 and window glass 126 to prevent or obscure asight line view into the interior chamber 128 of the patient station102. Once the medical session is complete (i.e., the session has beenterminated), the privacy system disengages deactivating the privacyfeature on the door glass 124, window panel glass 126, and lockingmechanism 130 to unlock the door 120. In one exemplary form, theautomatic locking mechanism may be provided in the form of an electronicmaglock. Alternative locking mechanisms, such as standard door locks,deadbolts, or other types electronic locks that are electronicallycommunicable with an electronic device may be used. The activation anddeactivation of the privacy system as described hereinabove, may beoperated through firmware and software. It is also contemplated that thephysician overseeing the medical session may have control over theactivation and deactivation of the privacy system remotely through theterminal being used for the medical session.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7 and 9, the patient station 102 may alsoinclude a number of medical and non-medical equipment. For example, asbest shown in FIG. 7, the patient station 102 may include a retractablediagnostic camera device 136, a web camera or live-video capturingcamera 162 positioned at a wall 131 above a visual device (e.g., ascreen) pointing in the general direction of a space that is to beoccupied by the standing patient 132. The capturing camera 162 is ableto transmit an image of the patient 132 occupying the patient station102 to the physician 202 conducting the exam at the medical facility 202(or to the physician on their electronic device 204 shown in FIG. 1).All cameras included in the patient station are communicable andconnected to the user interactive display via a wired (e.g., USBconnector) or wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, internet connection,radio wave frequency, etc.). Each patient station may also include astethoscope that can be deployed and retracted in a similar fashion tothe retractable diagnostic camera, and be mounted to either the ceilingor wall of the interior chamber.

The patient station 102 may also include a biometrical/vitals measuringdevice 138, an arm support mechanism 140, a seating mechanism 142, adocumentation receiving device 144 (or card reader), the userinteractive display terminal 146, which is the station's electronicdevice, may include speakers 148, a microphone 160, a monitor, screen,or projector. The patient station 102 may also include a purificationdevice or ultra-violet sanitation system 150, an interior lightingmechanism 152, and an integrated scaling mechanism 154 comprising anouter flooring 156 and a platform or interior flooring 158. The interiorchamber 128 may further comprise a plurality of stationary andretractable sensors, cameras, and other devices that are communicableover a wired and/or wireless network with the station's centralizedprocessor. As illustrated best in FIG. 9, the retractable diagnosticcamera device 136 may comprise a camera head 164 that may be configuredto include means for measuring and receiving bodily conditions, as wellas capturing images. For example, the diagnostic camera device 136 mayinclude an interchangeable camera head 164 to include, but not limitedto, a manual focusing head, an otoscope head, a tongue depressorattachment and derm hood head. The camera head may also include buttonsthat allow the patient to capture images upon the request of thephysician overseeing the medical session. A separate camera may also beincluded to provide thermal images, thermal temperature readings, andcolor-coded imaging to the physician administering the remote medicalsession.

The position of the diagnostic camera device 136 may generally comprisea camera head 164 affixed to a camera cord 166 that is set about alinear mechanism 168. As is best illustrated, the linear mechanism 168may be suspended inside of a cavity 170 provided by a false ceiling 172inside of the interior chamber 128 of the patient station 102, oralternatively be positioned inside of the medical inventory storagespace 116 of the patient station 102 (not shown). It is appreciated thatthe retractable camera device 136 be arranged or otherwise positioned ata top of the interior chamber 112, generally over a space that is to beoccupied by the standing patient 132 and at a height that is easilyaccessible by the patient 132. In an alternative embodiment, the camera164, camera cord 166, and linear mechanism 168 may be disposed about awall surface 131 at a height that is equally accessible by the patient132.

Turning to FIGS. 7 and 11, each patient station 102 may include a userinteractive display terminal 146 that is to be mounted on a wall surface131 inside of the chamber 128 generally positioned below the capturingcamera 162. The user interactive display terminal 146 includes acentralized processor communicable with the internal medical andnon-medical equipment inside of the patient station (e.g., camera,diagnostic camera, biometric devices, medical storage unit, printer,etc.), and provides the means for a secure connection with the network200, medical facility terminal 208, and cloud based system 300 hostingthe medical session. The user interactive display terminal 146 issuitable for projecting (or displaying) a real-time image of thephysician 210 (or medical professional) administering the exam remotely.As is clearly seen in FIG. 10, it is appreciated that the physician 210be displayed to the patient 132 in such a way that the patient 132receives the visual sensation that the physician 210 is virtuallypresent in the room. It is also appreciated that the display of the userinteractive display terminal 146 be configured to be adjusted manuallyor automatically to the height or preference of the patient 132, so thatthe physician 210 or health care professional performing the remote examcan see the patient 132 and what they are doing at all times. Themedical services kiosk 100 is technologically equipped to the extentthat the patient 132 is constantly receiving a live image of thephysician 210 administering the exam, with the physician 210 having theability to display on the screen (of the user interactive displayterminal 146) any medical readings that are pertinent to the discussionof the diagnosis of the patient 132. For example, as shown andillustrated in FIG. 11, the physician 210 may be speaking to the patientwhile deciding to display a picture in picture (PIP) 212 at a respectivevisual corner on the display device of the user interactive displayterminal 146 of the patient's 132 vital readings, sugar levels, bloodlevels, etc. The simulated screen image may also be configured toinclude a background image being displayed behind the physician 202 thatmay include, but is not limited to, the logo 214 or other indicatorassociated with the remote medical facility, physician, and/or insurancecompany covering the patient 132.

Returning to FIGS. 7, 9 and 10, the arm support mechanism 140 of thepatient station 102 may comprise a wall mount 174 having a hingeconnection 176 that is removably attachable to an arm rest 178 thatincludes a support arm 180. As illustrated, the wall mount 174 may beaffixed to a wall surface 131, such that the arm rest 178 and supportarm 180 can pivot about hinge 176 and be movable between an upwardposition (shown in FIG. 7) and downward position (shown in FIG. 12). Thearm support mechanism 140 may be utilized to provide the patient 132with an arm stabilizing platform that is necessary when performingcertain diagnostic tests. For instance, when a physician 210 requeststhat the patient 132 take a blood pressure measurement, it is generallyknown that the arm placement of the patient must be in a bent positionand remain still while the test is being performed. In that particularcase, the patient 132 may decide to move the arm rest mechanism 140 fromthe upward position to the downward position and use the arm mechanism'sarm rest 178 as a stabilizing platform to perform the test. Likewise,the arm support mechanism may be utilized for alternative tests thatrequire the stabilization of the patient's arm (e.g., blood work, pulseand oxygen readings, etc.)

Continuing with FIGS. 8 and 9, the seating mechanism 142 of the patientstation 102 may generally comprise a wall mount 182 that includes ahinge connection 184, a seat 186, and a support member 188. In oneexemplary form, wall mount 182 may be attached to a wall surface 131proximate to the arm mechanism 140. Seat 186 may then be hingeablyattached to hinge 184. The seat mechanism 142 is movable between anupward position (not shown) and a downward position (shown in FIG. 7),and is designed to withstand a heavy load of about 500 pounds. Theseating mechanism 142 is contemplated to be positioned below and to aside of the arm support mechanism 140 that was described herein above.The relative position of the seat mechanism 140 and arm mechanism 140 isone that simulates a chair with an arm rest provided at an adequateheight. Both the arm mechanism and seat mechanism may be heightadjustable to account for patients of different sizes.

The operational use of the medical services kiosk, and moreparticularly, the patient station 102 that is provided in each medicalservice kiosk is now discussed with reference to FIGS. 1, and 6-12.

In operation, the patient 132 enters into one of the separated (i.e.,private) interior chambers 128 of the patient station 102 through theentrance door 120. The patient 132 may then be able to initiate asession by interacting with the documentation receiving device 144 oruser interactive display terminal 146. In one exemplary form, theinitiation process may include the patient 132 entering a patientstation 102 and interacting with the documentation receiving device 144that is contemplated to be positioned at an opposite side of the patientstation's entrance door 120. The documentation receiving device 144 mayinclude a processing unit that is able to communicate with thecentralized processing unit of the user interactive display terminal 146that is communicable over the network 304 with the cloud based service300 that is to host the medical session (FIG. 1). The patient 132 mayinitiate the session by providing payment or insurance information inthe form of a card that is readable by the documentation receivingdevice 144 or providing information prompted by the user interactivedisplay terminal 146 upon entry of the patient station 102. Once paymentor the requirement to input information has been satisfied, the cloudbased system 300 which is linked and communicates with the electronicdevice (i.e., terminal display 146) of the patient station begins theprocess of establishing a medical session with an available healthcareprofessional. The system begins by doing a search query to see whichhealth care professional accessing a terminal 208 at a medical facility(or an electronic device 204 elsewhere) is available for a match. Theprocess of facilitating or hosting a medical session executed by thecloud based system 300 may be carried out by a tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium that holds machine-readableinstructions executable by a logic machine (i.e. one or more processorsor programmable control devices) to provide, implement, perform, and/orenact the described methods, processes and/or tasks. When such methodsand processes are implemented, the state of the storage machine may bechanged to hold different data. For example, the storage machine mayinclude memory devices such as internal or external hard disk drives,CD, or DVD devices. The logic machine may execute machine-readableinstructions via one or more physical information and/or logicprocessing devices. The logic machine may be configured to executeinstructions to perform tasks for a computer program, and/or may includeone or more processors to execute the machine-readable instructions. Thecomputing system may include a display subsystem to display anapplication interface, or graphical user interface (GUI), or any visualelement of the methods or processes described above.

To provide and ensure a secure, user-authorized access to a session, thephysician or health care professional must go through an authenticationprocess provided by the authentication server 302, which may include asoftware-based, and/or hardware-based authentication device, systems, ormethods. Authentication may comprise a single-tier, two-tier, ormulti-tier authentication protocol process. Examples of authenticationprotocols may include, but is not limited to, smart card technology,browser or digital certificates, hardware OTP tokens, software tokens,hardware security modules (HSM), or biometric authentication using oneor more sensors for sensing fingerprints, hand geometry, iris or retinalpatterns, or voice sampling or recognition. Other authenticationprotocols may include, IP security (IPSec) authentication methods,including the Kerberos protocol, private or public key certificates, ora simple pre-shared secret key, Challenge Handshake AuthenticationProtocol (CHAP), or the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).Authentication based on single or multiple tier authentication systemmay include for example, use of a name/password, setting up answers tochallenge questions, setting-up image recognition, or providingnumerical or alphabetical information in a captcha text-entry box.

Once a patient has been matched with a physician and a bidirectionalconnection has been established, the patient 132 may be visually andauditorily prompted with additional introductory questions. For example,the patient 132 may be asked to provide and/or input additionalinformation, such as medical history, if they are under any medications,or additional relevant information. In an alternative example, theinformation associated with the patient 132 may be linked and integratedfrom an outside data source by way of logging in to an account, whichthen may be accessible by both the patient and physician performing theremote medical assessment. As soon as the medical session has beenestablished, the patient station's 102 privacy system 124 may beactivated by the physician overseeing the medical session to lock door130, and activate the privacy features on the glass surfaces 124, 126 ofthe door 130 and window panel 122 as described herein above. A messagemay be projected on the glass surface of the entrance door notifyingother potential patients that the present patient station is in use.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, the interior chamber 128 of the patient station102 is configured for the patient 132 to sit in the patient seatingmechanism 142 with their back aligned or supported by a wall surface 131of the interior chamber 128, and able to use the arm support mechanism140 provided, if necessary. The patient station 102 of the medicalservices system 100 may measure the weight of the patient 132 byrequesting that the patient utilize the integrated scaling mechanism 154provided therein, which is best shown in FIG. 8. The scaling mechanism154 may include a calibrated scale, a plurality of measurement sensors,or any other means suitable for obtaining an accurate weight and/orheight of the patient 132, and may be integrated with the remainder ofthe flooring 156 within the interior chamber 128. For instance, withrespect to a height measurement, a height measurement device may bemounted to the ceiling of the interior chamber or a wall surface above aspace that is to be occupied by the patient to measure the patient'sheight. The height measurement device may be connected to the electronicdevice included with the patient station.

As can be best understood by FIG. 9, the patient 132 is able to providetheir biometrics and body vitals by applying, engaging, or otherwiseusing, the biometric/vitals measuring device(s) 138 provided inside ofthe patient station 102. In one non-limiting embodiment, thebiometric/vitals measuring device 138 may comprise body sensors andblood pressure monitoring technology. The biometric/vial measuringdevice 138 may also include medical technology suitable for acquiringvital signs of the patient 132, such as, a telemetric monitor, EKGmachine, and a pulse oximetry device. In one exemplary form, thebiometric/vitals measuring device 138 may include an adjustablebracelet-like mechanism comprising a cavity suited for adjustablefitting to the arm of the patient 132 to obtain the blood pressurereading of the patient. In another example, the biometric/vitalmeasuring device may include leads that are attachable to the patient toprovide telemetry readings readable by the physician. As previouslystated heretofore, the equipment inside of the patient station iscommunicable with the station's electronic device and configured totransfer data that is transferable over the network to the cloud basedsystem 300 and remote network terminal 202 accessible by the physician210 administering the exam remotely.

Additionally, the patient 132 under the supervision and guidance of aphysician 202 may also use the retractable diagnostic camera device 136suspended above the patient 132 or wall surface 131 to run a series oftests. For example, but not limited to, testing their pupillary lightreflex, eyes, ears, both anterior and inferior surfaces of the patientsnose, inspect their own mouth for oral mucosa, lesions, moisturecracking, etc. all under the careful guidance and watch of thephysician.

As seen in FIG. 8, the head 164 of the retractable diagnostic cameradevice 136, which may be suspended above the standing patient 132, maybe selectively grasped and pulled down by the patient 132. As the head164 of the diagnostic camera 136 is pulled down, the camera cord 166wrapped around the linear mechanism 168 suspended above the falseceiling 172 of the interior chamber 128 uncoils, providing the patientwith sufficient cord length to easily point the head 164 of thediagnostic camera 136 wherever the patient is requested to do so by thephysician administering the remote exam. After the patient 132 is doneutilizing the diagnostic camera 136, it is appreciated that the linearmechanism includes a recoiling mechanism that when engaged the linearmechanism 168 recoils the portion of the camera cord 166 that wasuncoiled when the patient pulled down the camera, thereby returning thediagnostic camera 136 back to its original position.

In summary, the patient 132 will be able to use the station's equipmentto provide the remote examining physician 202 with any necessary data torender a medical diagnosis, or at the very least, allow the physician202 to rule out medical conditions if a medical diagnosis can't bediagnosed by the physician.

Continuing in FIGS. 10 and 11, as previously stated the patient 132 willbe able to have bidirectional communication with the physician 202 byway of the user interactive display terminal 146. The physician will beable to display relevant medical information on the user interactionpanel's screen and talk to the patient 132 in real-time. As the sessionis coming to a close, the physician 202 may be able to dispensemedication by way of the medical inventory storage space 116 included inthe medical services kiosk 100. Alternatively, if the medication neededis not in-stock (or stored) by the inventory storage space 116, thephysician will be able to put in an order remotely for the patient 132to pick up their prescription at a nearby pharmacy; or print aprescription with by way of a printer that may be stored in the medicalinventory storage space 116.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 9, 10 and 12, the privacy chamber or interiorchamber 128 of the patient station 102 may include a purification orultra-violet (UV) sanitation system 150. The ultra-violet sanitationsystem 150 can be disposed about the false ceiling 172 of the patientstation 102. The UV sanitation system is generally controlled andpowered by the PDU or control box 134. Similar to the descriptionprovided hereinabove with reference to the control box and privacysystem, the UV sanitation system is governed by an executable set ofinstruction or commands provided by the control box 134. The UVsanitation system 150 may be commanded to activate by the physicianoverseeing the session as soon as the medical session has beenterminated and the patient 132 has left the interior chamber 128. In oneexemplary form, the physician may make an announcement that can be heardinside of the interior chamber before activating the UV sanitationsystem 150. Alternatively, the UV sanitation system can be programmed torun on a set schedule. For instance, the system may be programmed to runfor a pre-set amount of time every time it detects no movement withinthe chamber every 2 to about 4 hours during the day/night. Movementdetection, in one exemplary form, may be verified by personnel viewingimages being provided by the camera included in the interior chamber orthrough a motion sensor. The ultra-violet sanitation system 150 isdesigned to sterilize or sanitize the interior chamber 128 byneutralizing or killing organic and inorganic matter within the interiorchamber 128 by way of ultraviolet lighting when the room is vacantand/or through the use of an ultrasound emitting device that neutralizesor kills organic and inorganic matter through ultrasound waves.

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be madeto the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intendedthat all matters in the foregoing description and shown in theaccompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. Furthermore, it is understood that any of the featurespresented in the embodiments may be integrated into any of the otherembodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. The scope of theinvention should be determined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical services kiosk, comprising: a unitdefining an interior space having a closed top, a closed bottom, a pairof opposite right and left sides, a front end, and a back end; at leastone patient station provided inside of said interior space of said unit,said at least one patient station comprising: a privacy chamber havingat least one door, wherein said privacy chamber is provided forreceiving a patient therein and allowing said patient to have a medicalsession over a network with a remote health care professional; anelectronic device, wherein said electronic device is electronicallycommunicable over said network with a cloud based system and a remotelylocated network terminal accessible by said remote health careprofessional; at least one documentation receiving device; at least onebiometric device for obtaining biometric health measurements of saidpatient utilizing said at least one patient station; a camera configuredto transmit a real-time image of said patient to said remotely locatednetwork terminal accessible by said remote health care professional oversaid network; a retractable diagnostic camera; a lighting mechanism thatlights said privacy chamber; and a purification system, wherein said atleast one documentation receiving device, said at least one biometricdevice, said camera, and said retractable diagnostic camera arecommunicable with said electronic device.
 2. The medical services kioskof claim 1, wherein said medical session is hosted by said cloud basedsystem.
 3. The medical services kiosk of claim 1, wherein said at leastone patient station further comprises a privacy system that includes anelectronic lock affixed to said at least one door, and a privacy featureapplicable to a glass window provided by said at least one door, andwherein said privacy system is activated when said patient initiates asession with said health care professional.
 4. The medical serviceskiosk of claim 1, wherein said at least one documentation deviceincludes a card reader, said card reader capable of accepting at leastone of the group of credit cards, gift cards, and insurance cards, forpayment to initiate a session.
 5. The medical services kiosk of claim 1,wherein said electronic device displays a real-time image of said healthcare professional communicating with said patient after a session hasbeen established.
 6. The medical services kiosk of claim 1, wherein saidat least one patient station further comprises an arm mechanism, saidarm mechanism comprising: an arm rest; a support arm; and a wall mount,wherein said arm rest and said support arm are hingeably attachable tosaid wall mount, said wall mount being affixable to a wall surface ofsaid privacy chamber, said arm rest configured to pivot about saidhingeable attachment and movable between an upward position and adownward position.
 7. The medical services kiosk of claim 6, whereinsaid arm rest when provided in said downward position stabilizes saidpatient's arm when utilizing said at least one biometric device.
 8. Themedical service kiosk of claim 1, wherein said at least one biometricdevice comprises a blood pressure device.
 9. The medical services kioskof claim 1, wherein said privacy chamber of said patient stationincludes a false ceiling.
 10. The medical services kiosk of claim 9,wherein said retractable diagnostic camera device, said lightingmechanism, and said purification system are disposed about said falseceiling.
 11. The medical service kiosk of claim 1, wherein saidretractable diagnostic camera device comprises: a specialized camerahead; an extendible cord attached to said specialized camera head; and alinear mechanism for receiving said extendable cord.
 12. The medicalservices kiosk of claim 11, wherein said retractable diagnostic cameradevice produces readable data that is electronically transferable tosaid electronic device.
 13. The medical services kiosk of claim 1,wherein said purification system includes at least one ultra violetlight device and an ultrasound emitting device configured to activateafter said patient has terminated a session with said healthcareprofessional and has left said privacy chamber.
 14. The medical serviceskiosk of claim 1, wherein said at least one patient station furthercomprises: a medication inventory storage space having a medicaldispenser, said medical dispenser communicable with said electronicdevice and controllable by said healthcare professional to selectivelydispense a medication to said patient during a session.
 15. The medicalservices kiosk of claim 1, wherein said at least one patient stationcomprises a seating mechanism, said seating mechanism comprising: a seatrest; a seat support; and a wall mount, wherein said seat rest and saidsupport arm are hingeably attachable to said wall mount, said wall mountbeing affixable to a wall surface of said privacy chamber, said seatrest configured to pivot about said hingeable attachment and movablebetween an upward position and a downward position.
 16. The medicalservices kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a weight scale mechanism.17. The medical services kiosk of claim 16, wherein said weight scalemechanism is integrated to a flooring of said privacy chamber, saidweight scale mechanism suitable and calibrated for obtaining an accuratereading of said patient's weight.
 18. The medical services kiosk ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one UPS battery that energizes saidat least one patient station in the event of power loss.
 19. A medicalservices kiosk, comprising: a unit defining an interior space having aclosed top, a closed bottom, a pair of opposite right and left sides, afront end, and a back end; at least two patient stations provided insideof said interior space adjacent one another and separated by at leastone noise attenuation privacy wall, each of said patient station,comprising: a privacy chamber having at least one door and at least onewindow each having at least one panel comprising a transparency shiftingmechanism and at least one locking mechanism, said transparency shiftingmechanism and locking mechanism controlled by a privacy system andactivated after a patient is received within said privacy chamber andestablishes a session with a health care professional accessing a remotenetwork terminal over a network connection; an electronic device,wherein said electronic device is electronically communicable over saidnetwork with a cloud based system hosting said session; an electroniccard reading device; at least one biometric device for obtainingbiometric health measurements of said patient; a camera, said camera ofeach of said at least two patient stations configured to transmit areal-time image of said patient to said remotely located networkterminal accessible by said health care professional over said networkduring said session; a retractable diagnostic camera device, comprising;a specialized camera head; an extendible cord attached to saidspecialized camera head; and a linear mechanism adapted to receivingsaid extendable cord; wherein said patient is able to utilize saidspecialized camera head to perform a plurality of task as directed bysaid healthcare professional during said session, and wherein saiddiagnostic camera device is communicable with said electronic device toprovide said health care professional with real-time data of saidpatient; an arm mechanism selectively usable by said patient for armstability when using said at least one biometric device; a seatingmechanism selectively useable when said patient communicates with saidhealth care professional; a purification device; and a lightingmechanism that lights said privacy chamber.
 20. A medical serviceskiosk, comprising: a unit defining an interior space having a closedtop, a closed bottom, a pair of opposite right and left sides, a frontend, and a back end; at least two patient stations provided inside ofsaid interior space adjacent one another and separated by at least onenoise attenuation privacy wall, each of said patient station,comprising: a privacy chamber having at least one door and at least onewindow each having at least one panel comprising a transparency shiftingmechanism and at least one locking mechanism, said transparency shiftingmechanism and locking mechanism controlled by a privacy system andactivated after a patient is received within said privacy chamber andestablishes a session with a health care professional accessing a remotenetwork terminal over a network connection; an electronic device,wherein said electronic device is electronically communicable over saidnetwork with a cloud based system hosting said session, and wherein saidelectronic device displays a real-time image of said health careprofessional communicating with said patient when said session has beeninitiated; an electronic card reading device; at least one biometricdevice for obtaining biometric health measurements of said patient; aretractable diagnostic camera device, comprising; a specialized camerahead; an extendible cord attached to said specialized camera head; and alinear mechanism adapted to receiving said extendable cord; wherein saidpatient is able to grab and pull on said specialized camera head toperform a plurality of task as directed by said healthcare professionalduring said session, and wherein said diagnostic camera device iscommunicable with said electronic device to provide said health careprofessional with real-time data of said patient; an arm mechanismselectively usable by said patient for arm stability when using said atleast one biometric device; a seating mechanism selectively usable whensaid patient communicates with said health care professional; a lightingmechanism that lights said privacy chamber; a weight scale mechanismintegrated to a flooring of said privacy chamber of each of said patientstation; a camera, said camera of each of said at least two patientstations configured to transmit a real-time image of said patient tosaid remotely located network terminal accessible by said health careprofessional over said network during said session; and an ultra violetlight device, said ultra violet light device activated after saidpatient has terminated said session with said healthcare professionaland has left said privacy chamber.